NJPW on AXS TV: Episode 3

New Japan Pro-Wrestling on AXS TV

Episode 3, January 23rd 2015

We’re with Okada in the studio talking about his unsuccessful start of 2013 and the big losses (Tanahashi and Suzuki) from January and February, and how New Japan Cup came at the perfect moment for him to rebuild and earn another title shot at Tana. He said he felt the fans wanted the Tanahashi era to end and he was the right guy for it.

Invasion Attack 2013

(2013/4/7)

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi ©

Sometimes in life certain moments happen that make you so happy you cannot describe them with words, because it would feel like a desecration. That’s why I’m not even going to bother talking about this masterpiece, one of the greatest matches I have ever seen, instead he’s some Batman for you, cheers:

*****

After this truly incredible match Gedo gets the mic and invites Minoru Suzuki to the ring, he says Okada wants his revenge and is willing to put his freshly won heavyweight strap on the line. Of course MiSu accepts it and he also slaps both Okada and Gedo in the process. Badass. Okada then says Suzuki will have the privilege of being a tiny part of the new history written by him.

Backstage we see Tanahashi being carried by KUSHIDA and Captain New Japan, dude could barely walk. Details like that tell the entire story about how insanely physical the match was.

Finally, Okada speaks some more in the studio, he talks about the match and how the arm hurt like hell, how he fought through the pain and how the match would’ve ended sooner if he had avoided Tana’s strategy. He talks about the warm reception the fans in Ryogoku gave him and how Tanahashi knows he’ll never be able to beat him again.

Shit man, this was honestly one of the best wrestling weeklies ever, this show is just amazingly produced and presented, the sound technicians did an amazing job with Ranallo and Barnett, making it look like they’re live in Ryogoku with all the ring noise and stuff. Simple, effective, cool and respectable, this show is fucking awesome, some of the best presentation you’ll ever see from your TV wrestling.